F1: Renault backs Ferrari on engine freeze

Renault has backed Ferrari in suggesting that lifting Formula 1's engine freeze will not lead to a dramatic hiking in costs.

A critical Formula 1 Commission meeting is scheduled to vote later this month on a proposal to relax engine development rules and allow some in-season modifications. While Ferrari, Renault and Honda are in favor of the change, Mercedes is against the move, and has vowed to block the regulation tweak going ahead. It argues that such a late change to rules for 2015 will only lead to a big ramping up in expenditure that will need to be passed on to customer teams.

Renault's head of track operations is not convinced by that argument, though. Remi Taffin thinks that with careful planning it is possible to allow in-season changes without it being hugely expensive.

"In terms of development it [the engine] is being developed anyway, so the guys, computers and dynos will be running," said Taffin. "It's fair to say we will be spending the money we've got and running the means we've got.

"At some point if it's a matter of introducing [an upgrade] mid-season, then it's just a matter of a few parts that will be overlayed at some point, but it's not going to be a massive overspending, I think."

Taffin does warn, however, that costs could rise dramatically if a manufacturer started running parallel development programs on its engines.

"If you choose a plan A for the start of the season and plan B from July onward, then it could be costing a lot, because you have to double the sourcing of parts," he said.

Taffin says that Renault's development push for the start of 2015 will not ease off if the relaxation of the freeze happens.

"We are still developing it [the engine], and it is more a matter of phasing in what we are going to be introducing in Melbourne," he explained. "We have not yet dropped anything for the first race. Everything that will come through and is not possible for Melbourne, we will slot it in later in the year."